Author Topic: Bloomberg: Nintendo to announce next-gen machine at E3 (Read 9212 times)

ultrafamicom · « **on:** November 13, 2003, 02:50:59 AM »

quote:
"The company will start selling the next-generation video game machine next year in Japan. It didn't say whether the machine would be hand-held. Sales of consoles will begin in China this month, Nintendo said."

(That would be the iQue ! )

quote:
"Console shipments for the full year are still in line with the
company's previous plans, with 20 million Game Boy Advance systems and
6 million GameCubes to be shipped. Sales of game systems in China is
also expected to begin within this month, according to director
Yoshihiro Mori. The company plans to release their next-generation
machine within Japan next year, placing it on display at a trade show
in America next May."

Piposan · « **Reply #1 on:** November 13, 2003, 03:30:28 AM »

Click
here
for more.

Cap · « **Reply #2 on:** November 13, 2003, 04:46:07 AM »

if they are actually going to sell it next year, i think it must be the portable gamecube that i've been hoping for. the gba is selling to well to release its successor already, and it just seems too soon to release the next home console. well, i hope its too soon to release the next home consoles anyways. maybe nintendo feels differently.

ghostVi · « **Reply #3 on:** November 13, 2003, 05:52:45 AM »

If it's a GCP in the 200USD price range, than I'm sold...

Ian Sane · « **Reply #4 on:** November 13, 2003, 06:14:58 AM »

Gamespot has a report on this too. A debut at this year's E3 doesn't really shock me. Nintendo usually debuts the hardware at least a year before the console is launched. I remember they annouced Killer Instinct as the first N64 title (then Ultra 64) back in E3 1994, over two years before the console launched. I imagine they'll do something similar to the Cube unveiling at Spaceworld 2000: show the hardware and controller design but not have any playable games.

Still a 2004 launch would suggest that they would have to have playable games at E3 if they planned on pulling that off. I'm hoping this is a mistranslation or a mixup with the iQue. 2004 is WAY too early to release a new console particularly when the competition isn't launching until 2006. 2005 has long been rumoured as the launch date with the idea being that Nintendo would not give Sony a head start but since it's now been revealed that Sony won't launch until 2006 even that date seems unnecessarily early. A 2004 launch date is the Dreamcast all over again.

An E3 2004 debut followed by a spring/summer 2005 launch sounds a lot more likely and would be a better option since it's closer yet still ahead of the PS3 launch and if they launch before fall by Christmas they'll have a fair amount of titles available.

CaseyRyback · « **Reply #5 on:** November 13, 2003, 06:36:26 AM »

maybe thats why we have not seen the new Mario

The Omen · « **Reply #6 on:** November 13, 2003, 06:43:27 AM »

Quote
2005 has long been rumoured as the launch date with the idea being that Nintendo would not give Sony a head start but since it's now been revealed that Sony won't launch until 2006 even that date seems unnecessarily early. A 2004 launch date is the Dreamcast all over again.

I don't agree. If you recall, Sega was dead before they released the Dreamcast. The Saturn completely flopped. They were in debt big time, and just dug themselves deeper with the release of DC. So they didnt have a big market going into the DC era, whereas Nintendo has a very large, loyal following. Financially, we know Nintendo is in great shape.
Now there is a risk of the other systems trumping Nintendos specs given the extra time. But i contend it would also put the PS4 and Xbox 3 at a disadvantage, when 2 years into the life cycle of the PS3, Sony have to deal with Nintendo readying the NEXT system to trump them. And with that big of a head start,I think its a win/ win situation. They just have to make the N5 incredibly appealing, and they'll start to gain mass appeal while the others scramble to catch up. Basically, this puts the power in Nintendos hands for 2 generations at least. I just dont see a Nintendo system failing that badly. Think of this, all the 3rd parties will jump on the bandwagon if its the only next gen system available, and once they do, the N5 will become like the PS2. It will recieve priority over the others when theyre finally released. I like the aggression in this move, if true.

CaseyRyback · « **Reply #7 on:** November 13, 2003, 06:56:50 AM »

SEGA's major problem was that Sony had way more features in their console than the DC. Maily the fact that the PS2 had a DVD drive was a big selling factor fo the system

Ian Sane · « **Reply #8 on:** November 13, 2003, 07:00:47 AM »

"Think of this, all the 3rd parties will jump on the bandwagon if its the only next gen system available, and once they do, the N5 will become like the PS2. It will recieve priority over the others when theyre finally released."

Not necessarily. Though it's not the best example the Dreamcast got a fair bit of N64 and PSX ports back in the day that didn't really show off the power of the system. That could happen if the N5 launches too early. We already have a problem with multiplatform games not reaching their full potential because they're designed for the PS2. That could continue. Third parties don't care about the hardware as much as where the money can be made. If they cared about hardware then the Sega Master System, Turbo Grafix 16, 3DO, etc wouldn't have been flops.

Though I can see a few gung-ho developers who really want to use better hardware giving it a try but there certainly won't be a complete third party migration. The best strategy in launching early is to get some unknown developers with a lot of potential to make use of the new hardware and make some games that are impossible to replicate on the other consoles. This worked for the Genesis which is the only console I can think of that launched well ahead of the competition and was successful.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #9 on:** November 13, 2003, 07:05:56 AM »

The N5 won't be released next year...period...

The Omen · « **Reply #10 on:** November 13, 2003, 07:06:31 AM »

Quote
Not necessarily. Though it's not the best example the Dreamcast got a fair bit of N64 and PSX ports back in the day that didn't really show off the power of the system. That could happen if the N5 launches too early.

But the Dreamcast had no third party support because....the Saturn had none! The Saturn is the system that killed them, not the DC. Nintendo have been making agreements with these 3rd parties, and i think a lot of them will be on board at launch. 2 years is much too long for the casual gamer to wait for another system, especially if the N5 has kick ass games . And casual gamers will propel the N5 into a PS2 like position. Sony will be back on their heels. I believe this could work.

the_zombie_luke · « **Reply #11 on:** November 13, 2003, 07:14:14 AM »

I agree. Nintendo is making so many collaborations and Miyamoto is respected by so many big game makers, such as Kojima and Mikami that the launch will be stellar. They should launch with Too Human and Smash Bros.

Too bad the article said that it was not known if the next-gen system was Game Boy or GameCube 2.

thecubedcanuck · « **Reply #12 on:** November 13, 2003, 07:19:19 AM »

hmmm, I agree with Omen on this. From a business standpoint it is extremely aggressive and just may work, it also might not.
Will people buy a new system this soon after the last one was released, especially the ones who just dropped $99 on the cube. Was the $99 cube used to hook them, and the new system used to real them in? Or is this all BS?
This could get very interesting.

thecubedcanuck · « **Reply #13 on:** November 13, 2003, 07:21:14 AM »

one more thing,

call this MEGATON and I will personally kill you

Ian Sane · « **Reply #14 on:** November 13, 2003, 07:27:06 AM »

There is one thing that hasn't really been brought up that could affect an early launch big time: backwards compatibility. If the N5 can play Gamecube games then Nintendo and third parties can continue to make Cube and N5 games so that anyone who just bought a $99 Cube doesn't feel ripped off. This way they can ease Cube owners into switching to N5. Plus they could even make it so some Cube games have N5 specific features similar to how the Zelda Oracle games had an exclusive GBA shop. Though some people would be irritated by it it would give Cube owners that extra incentive to buy the N5.

The Omen · « **Reply #15 on:** November 13, 2003, 07:55:19 AM »

True, Ian sane. They must have backwards compatibility , or they better not even attempt this. I on the other hand, wont care, because every system i buy is never backwards compatible. But for people who just bought the GC, its a must. Now that brings in what kind of media they use as well. I guess if they go larger DVD, they could have it play both, like my DVD player. Of course, this all could be nothing, and i'll get hyped up just to be let down. But if Nintendo isnt planning this, they should start now.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #16 on:** November 13, 2003, 07:58:46 AM »

"Now that brings in what kind of media they use as well. I guess if they go larger DVD, they could have it play both, like my DVD player."

I've always said that for the N5 Nintendo has to match what Sony and MS are offering. Therefore having smaller memory cards or smaller discs doesn't cut it. So I think they should switch to the DVD format and allow their machine to play DVD movies. Since the Q can do it then backwards compatibility can still exist.

PIAC · « **Reply #17 on:** November 13, 2003, 08:28:43 AM »

MEGATON!

i don't rrreally think Nintendo would roll out a console for 2004, i just don't see it happening, not when Iwata said they want to meet the competition for release dates, unless... that was just a bluff, which they have done before.. oww now i don't know what to think, better just screem megaton some more

MEGATON!

Pale · « **Reply #18 on:** November 13, 2003, 08:36:56 AM »

Everyone fails to mention that if nintendo launches this early, in another 2 years the other two would come along then they would be the newest thing thus killing the new nintendo system. I personally think the best business decision is to lauch within the same week of the other console and then have a hype war. Nintendo could win a hype war if they nabbed some third party exclusives and put a mario and pokemon game along some sort of mature title.

thecubedcanuck · « **Reply #19 on:** November 13, 2003, 08:54:03 AM »

"kills PIAC with repeated kicks to the groin"

I warned you!

This looks very real now, lots of gaming sites covering this.

http://www.gamespot.com/gba/news/news_6083469.html

seven_chaos · « **Reply #20 on:** November 13, 2003, 08:57:23 AM »

Just as Bill stated, there is no way the N5 will be released next year. Use common sense and realise that this new "system" will be the next gameboy. It has to be. The GBA came out almost a year before the Gamecube and if the N5 were to come out in 2005, then the next game boy would obviously come out next year.

Clonester · « **Reply #21 on:** November 13, 2003, 09:02:26 AM »

So many factors would come into play for an early launch, yet all it really comes down to is this:

If a lot of people buy the N5 then this decision will help make Nintendo #1 for next gen.
***BUT***
If not enough people buy it, then Nintendo will be screwed over badly.

This worked for the PS2, but we're talking about a different company and a different set of circumstances. The question is: would the risk be worth it???

ThePerm · « **Reply #22 on:** November 13, 2003, 09:07:08 AM »

if sony anounces ps3 then the next day or a few hours later nintnedo will announce n5

Ian Sane · « **Reply #23 on:** November 13, 2003, 10:03:41 AM »

IGN's reported the news

"Nintendo has not stated whether or not this new product will come in the form of a console, handheld, or as a peripheral unit. It was also reported by a company spokesman that this product won't be a successor to any of the current hardware on the market. However, Nintendo has repeatedly stated that they will be the first to release its next-generation console, so it is possible that Nintendo, despite denials, is planning to release their next console at the end of 2004."

Both IGN and Gamepro think that this new console is that "exciting new product" that Iwata was talking about a little while ago and that it probably isn't a new Gameboy or Gamecube successor. Sounds to me like it may be something completely different like the Virtual Boy. Hopefully that's not a bad thing.

Avinash_Tyagi · « **Reply #24 on:** November 13, 2003, 10:23:02 AM »

Nintendo has just cleared up the confusion.

At Gamespot they've stated that its not a GC or GBA successor but rather something new.

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6083492.html Text

News:

Author Topic: Bloomberg: Nintendo to announce next-gen machine at E3 (Read 9212 times)